S.J. County supervisors approve $1.33B budget

STOCKTON - After making some relatively minor tweaks over three days of hearings, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors approved a $1.33 billion budget.

Zachary K. Johnson

STOCKTON - After making some relatively minor tweaks over three days of hearings, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors approved a $1.33 billion budget.

More than $60 million larger than this year's spending plan, the 2013-14 budget still needed to use unspent funds from the current fiscal year to close a $16 million deficit.

But the county didn't draw down its reserve for contingencies or take funding away from capital projects, as it has in recent years.

"I think that's a great accomplishment," Supervisor Bob Elliott said. "That's the way we're going to improve our long-term fiscal health." It's where the focus should be to structurally balance the budget, he said.

Cost savings adopted in recent years have been able to bring the day closer when revenues match expenditures, Supervisor Steve Bestolarides said. But the county is not there yet, he said. "I don't want to really feel too good about the budget."

During the hearings, supervisors added another $1 million to the budget, approving money for community groups and additional employees in the District Attorney's Office to prosecute crimes and the Public Health Division to prevent obesity.

This year, more than half - about $600,000 - of the extra money came from funds that would have boosted the county's reserves. The reserves still grow about $18,000 to a total of $18.9 million.

Another $400,000 for the extra expenditures came from the money the county had set aside to pay to expand the County Jail. Supervisors killed the plan earlier this year when it seemed the cost to run a larger jail was not affordable.

On Thursday, the board approved the final budget on a 5-0 vote. But not before finishing up the final business of the third-day of budget hearings.

Every year, the supervisors approve changes in fees charged by the county. Most changes increased fees, but not all fees rose, and some even fell.

Like the fee at the Agricultural Commissioner's Office providing electronically stored information to the public. It used to be $120. Now it will be an hourly rate, based on the cost of the time spent by an employee to fulfil the request. That's $78.23 an hour, based on the salary and benefits of the senior agricultural biologist who would be producing the records, according to the county. It's estimated the average request takes a half-hour and would cost about $39.

It will cost more to drop off rubbish at the county's landfills, and the cost for an adult ticket to Micke Grove Zoo rises from $4 to $5. Kids' tickets will rise from $2 to $3.

"Micke Grove Zoo will be the lowest-priced zoo in California, even with these increases," parks administrator Duncan Jones said.

Supervisors also approved $28 million worth of budgets from a collection of special districts not included in the $1.33 billion county budget.

They provide everything from flood protection to streetlights to sewerage and water. Some are in trouble, because it's too easy for a handful of residents in a particular district to strike down increases to service charges needed to provide services and maintain aging infrastructures, county officials said.

Without enough money coming in and reserves depleting, "then maybe it comes down to making some hard decisions," Public Works Director Tom Gau said.

Some homeowners take responsibility for the cost; others assume the county will step in with the money, Supervisor Larry Ruhstaller said.

"We're just trying to say: Folks, when you bought this property, ... you knew you were going to be responsible for your own water, or lighting, or whatever it is."